Vertically and horizontally integrated microcircuitry



1 Mmch BE, 1967 J. B. HANGSTEFER VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY INTEGRATED MICROCIRCUITRY Original Filed March 23, 1962 INVENTOR.

JAMES B. HANGSTEFER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,310,711 VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY LNTE- GRATED MICROCIRCUITRY James B. Hangstefer, Beverly, Mass., assignor to Solid State Products Inc., Salem, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application Mar. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 181,951, now Patent No. 3,256,587, dated June 21,1966. Divided and this application Sept. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 485,468 4 Claims. (Cl. 317-101) This is a division of application Serial No. 181,951, filed March 23, 1962, now U.S. Patent No. 3,256,587.

The present invention relates to improvement of miniature electrical semiconductor apparatus and, in one particular aspect, to novel and improved electrical circuitry including a minute semiconductor body which forms both one or more semiconductor circuit components and a substrate with which circuit interconnections, and other circuit elements as needed, are integrated into a rugged and highly miniaturized module.

A major emphasis in modern electronic circuit developments is in the direction of reducing size, weight and susceptibility to failure under very severe environmental conditions of use. Because of the high degree of miniaturizations already attained in pursuing these objectives, many such equipments, commonly referredto as microsystems or microcircuits, have virtually eliminated waste space regions and have become essentially monolithic in character. This is particularly true in the case of certain circuitry incorporating semiconductor devices, wherein distributed-parameter networks may be ,synthesized in three-dimensional blocks of semiconductor material. Cascading of layers and the addition of various forms of semiconductor appendages permit the duplication of a number of electronic circuit functions, such as those of amplifiers, oscillators, detectors, mixers, multivibrators, gates, and the like all within miniature monolithic structures. However, these techniques can be exploited only in limited types and sizes of circuits, such that desired versatility in design and use in lacking. It is for the latter reason that resort must then be had to conventional auxiliary wiring techniques, or to the use of auxiliary printed circuit boards, for the purpose of interconnecting separate components in needed circuit relationships. While these components may be integrated into rigid sub-assemblies by encapsulation, the resulting structure nevertheless tends to I be relatively bulky for many purposes, and the difficulties of assembling and connecting the components increase as the size is sought to be reduced. In accordance with the present teachings, however, microcircuitry may be fabricated in a variety of forms which afford a high degree of needed flexibility in design of circuits with various components and component parameters, and in which the components are nevertheless advantageous integrated into minuscule units which are of substantially monolithic character.

It is one of the objects of the present invention, therefore, to provide improvements in microcircuitry whereby semiconductor and other electric circuit components may readily he integrated into unitary monolithic structures of minute proportions.

A further object is to provide novel and improved microcircuit structures of a double-substrate type wherein semiconductor components are developed within a thin silicon substrate coated with an integral vitreous in sulating substrate upon which are deposited inegral circuit interconnections and components.

By way of a summary account of practice of this invention in one of its aspects, P-N junction devices are formed in different regions within a thin high-resistivity wafer or stratum of silicon, as by conventional gaseous diffusion techniques, with intended areas for electrical contacting exposed on one planar surface. A vvitreous layer is developed across at least the same planar surface of the stratum, in one or more steps, and the intended small areas for electrical contacts with the junction devices are exposed by selective removal of the vitreous layer, preferably by way of masked etching. Thereafter, a thin layer of low-conductivity metal, such as tantalum, is deposited over the surface of the vitreous insulating layer, and a further layer of high-conductivity metal, such as gold, is deposited atop the first. Selective etch removal of portions of the high-conductivity layer, and further selective removal of portions of the low-conductivity material, leaving conductive paths of predetermined lengths and orientation atop the vitreous insulating layer, provide resistances and circuit interconnections with the junction devices, as needed. Contact or terminal areas are among these sites at which the high-' conductivitylayer is retained, and wired contacts with these areas are brought out from an enclosure for the microcircuit through suitable terminal leads. Substrate areas of but one-tenth square inch or less may be involved, although numerous semiconductive, resistive, and capacitive elements are integrated into one solid structure.

Although the features of this invention which are considered to be novel are set forth in the appended claims, further details asto preferred practices of the invention, as well as the further objects and advantages thereof, may be most readily comprehended through reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 provides a schematic diagram of a typical electronic circuit array which may be fabricatedin integrated microcircuit form in practice of the present teachmgs;

FIGURE 2 is a pictorial view of a microcircuit subassembly of the circuit of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3A represents a cross-section of athin highresistivity semiconductor wafer or substrate with which a microcircuit is to be developed;

FIGURE 3B is a plan view of the substrate of FIG- URE 3A; 7

FIGURE 4A represents a cross-section of a semiconductor substrate processed to include a plurality of diffused P-N regions which form four P-N junctionsemiconductor elements, the regions being designated by superimposed linework;

FIGURE 4B is a plan view of the plural-junction substrate of FIGURE 4A;

FIGURE 5A represents a cross-section of a pluraljunction substrate which has been integrated with a further vitreous insulating substrate and having exposed junction contacts; I p FIGURE 5B is a plan view of the double-substrate unit of FIGURE 5A;

FIGURE 6A represents a cross-section of a doublesubstrate plural-junction unit wherein the junctioncontacts and insulating substrate are further coated with layers of both low-conductivity and high-conductivity materials;

FIGURE 6B is a plan view of the unit of FIGURE 6A intended masking areas for selective removal and retention of the outer coating materials being indicated by superimposed dashed linework; and

FIGURE 7 depicts an assembled and hermetically enclosed microcircuit assembly, with a portion of the enclosure broken away to reveal internal constructional detail.

The schematic circuit illustrated in FIGURE 1 is of a typical form, for purposes of this disclosure, and is shown to include as components three diodes, 8-10, a transistor 11, a capacitor 12, and three resistances of prescribed values, 13-15. These circuit components are in connections with eight terminals, 16-23, and are further intercoupled by way of the additional leads shown in the illustration. This same circuit assembly of numerous components, interconnections, and terminals, is duplicated in a microcircuit form in the sub-assembly enlargement portrayed in FIGURE 2, the area of the thin circular and substantially planar substrate 24 there being of the order of but one-tenth square inch, or less. Other than for the minute protrusions of the terminal or contact areas 16-23, and the barely perceptible protrusions of interconnections such as those identified by reference characters 25 and 26, and to an even lesser, extent the protrusions of film-like resistance and capacitance elements, the sub-assembly 27 is essentially planar and twodimensional. Moreover, because of its unique construction, the sub-assembly is monolithic, i.e., its elements are solidly integrated into a unitary rugged structure possessing no voids whatsoever and there is no freedom for relative movements between any of its parts. This construction is one which readily lends itself to mounting, connection with other circuitry, association with heatdissipation elements, and hermetic enclosure, all in accordance with techniques which have been well developed in connection with common forms of semiconductor devices.

Preferred practices by which the completed microcircuit sub-assembly (FIGURE 2), is fabricated are best understood in relation to the sequence of drawings next considered. FIGURES 3A and 3B depict the flat circular wafer or die 24 of a high resistivity silicon at an initial stage in the manufacturing process, and it is noted that in FIGURE 3A (as well as 4A, 5A and 6A) the thickness of the wafer is highly exaggerated in relation to the corresponding surface area (FIGURE 3B) as an aid to illustration. In practice, the wafer is preferably made very thin when considered in relation to the diminutive surface area, the latter being only about one-tenth square inch. Subsequently, diffused regions of the different conduction characteristics needed to develop the desired junction semiconductor devices are created in the silicon wafer. Techniques for impregnation or diffusion of donor and acceptor impurity elements are of course well known for the purpose of producing N-type and P-type regions, respectively, in the semiconductor material, and the conduction regions designated in FIGURE 4A are developed in accordance with such techniques, preferably by gaseous diffusion techniques involving application of impurity elements carried in gaseous atmospheres. As the result of these diffusions, the junctions needed to create an asymmetrically conductive device in the form of the transistor 11 in FIGURE 1 are produced by the N-type region 11a, P-type region 11b, and N-type region 1110, while the junctions needed to create the three diode devices 8-10 are produced between the further N-type region 24a and each of the three further P-type regions 8a, 9a, and 10a. Remaining semiconductor material 24b between the N-type regions 11a and 24a is maintained with P-type conduction characteristics, to assure that a desired electrical circuit isolation will occur between these two regions. Each of the prescribed conduction regions is produced near the top surface of the silicon wafer, with a substantial predetermined area adjoining that surface and exposed for the subsequent bonding of certain electrical contacts therewith, as marked by the linework about the designated regions in FIGURE 4B. The intended areas for contact with these regions are temporarily coated by a layer of vitreous insulating layer, such as an oxidized layer of the semiconductor material, and are thereby temporarily insulated. Such insulation may be developed solely by the oxidation of the silicon substrate, which forms a thin integral silicon dioxide coating as the substrate is exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere at high temperatures. Such a coating may be produced in a separate heating and oxidizing step, or, in some practices it suffices to build up the silicon dioxide coating by way of the separate successive layers of silicon dioxide which appear on the substrate as the junction devices are being formed. The aforementioned insulating silicon dioxide may alone serve as the desired vitreous insulating layer in certain high oh-ms/ square metal, preferably tantalum, or alterjunctio'n therewith, a separately-deposited vitreous layer may be used. By way of example, finely-powdered glass may be deposited from a suspension, or electrostatically, and then fired to form the integral insulating layer.

Although the aforementioned vitreous insulating coating may cover the entire silicon substrate when it is formed, such portions as are unwanted in the finished product may be removed, as by chemical etching. As is shown in FIGURES 5A and 5B, seven small discrete connection points with the seven underlying regions of the silicon substrate are formed through the vitreous insulating coating 28 and are thus exposed for circuit interconnection purposes. For convenience in description, these are designated by the same reference characters as the corresponding regions with which they are in contact, with distinguishing single-prime accents added. The insulating coating is exaggerated in height as an aid to illustration.

At this stage of the fabrication of the microcircuitry, there are essentially two substrates in existence: a primary substrate 24 in the form of the semiconductor wafer which provides mechanical strength, and an auxiliary substrate 28 in the form of the integrally-formed vitreous layer which affords needed electrical insulation. The latter serves as a base upon which circuit interconnections and certain components are developed, integrally. As a preparatory step, the insulating coating 28 with the electrode connections projecting through it is first coated with a deposited film or layer 29 (FIGURE 6A) of a so-called high ohms/ square metal, preferably tantalum, or alternatively a nickel-chromium-iron alloy or the like, which possesses low electrical conductivity and may therefore aid in the later formation of prescribed highly-resistive circuit components. In turn, a further metal film or layer 30 is deposited upon the tantalum film 29, this second film having a high electrical conductivity characteristic which may aid in the later formation of prescribed ohmic or low-resistance interconnections. Gold is preferred for film 30, although other low-resistance metals having compatability with certain metal-removing techniques described hereinafter may also be used, silver being a further example. The needed resistive components and circuit interconnections are created through selective removal of predetermined portions of the applied films. Double-dashed linework 31 in FIGURE 6B indicates those portions of the films, enclosed within this linework, which are to remain for these purposes. Except for the generally circular area 32 and the narrow sinuous paths 14', 13 and 15 in FIGURE 6B, the gold film 39 is permitted to remain in place atop the tantalum film in the paths enclosed by the dashed linework 31, while being entirely removed elsewhere by selective etching. In the latter connection, selective removal may be accomplished through practice of known techniques using a photo resist material as a masking medium and chemical etching for removal of the metal films in those regions where they are not desired. High-temperature sintering of the device may be accomplished either before or after the selective removal steps, for the purpose of establishing a stronger bond between the vitreous insulating layer and the tantalum and between the tantalum and gold film.

Elongation paths of resistances 13, 14 and 15 (FIG- URE 1), which remain after the etching procedures are completed, will exhibit predetermined values of resistance depending upon the lengths and cross-sections of the paths as well as the characteristic resistance per unit volume of the high-resistivity material itself. The latter characteristic is a fixed one for the deposited metal film material, such as deposited tantalum, and the thickness of the deposited film is readily controlled within significant limits, and the ultimate regulation of actual resistance is therefore left to the length and width proportions of'the paths are determined by the masking and etching. In the case of tantalum, resistivity is about 15.5 ohm-cm, although resistivities higher and somewhat lower than this are satisfactory for present purposes also. Although the paths forming the three resistances in the illustrated microcircuit are shown to be sinuous, it should be understood that they be of other useful configurations also. Interconnection paths of low resistance are formed along the shortest and most direct practical routes, by the unetched portions of the low-resistance gold film which is electrically parallelled with the underlying tantalum film extending over these same routes. Separate connections between the resistance elements and interconnecting low-resistance material are thus unnecessary. The gold film is also masked and retained in place ateach of the intended sites of a terminal for external connection, such as the sites of terminal or contact area 16-22 as designated in FIGURE 6B, these sites being enlarged to facilitate electrical connection with lead wires.

As is portrayed in FIGURE 7, a monolithic microcircuit sub-assembly of the aforesaid construction well lends itself to mounting and hermetic enclosure after the fashion of simple semiconductor devices. The double-substrate assembly 27 is there shown positioned centrally upon a metal base 33, with each of the terminal sites bonded to a lead wire in accordance with known techniques, the lead wires in turn each being connectedto a dilferent one of the insulated terminal pins 34 projecting through the base. A metal header or cap 35 completes the enclosure, with the illustrated juxtaposed flanges of the base and header being sealed together in a known manner.

While the circuit of FIGURE 1 includes a capacitance 12, it is of course commonly the case that these forms of circuit elements are not used and that the teachings of the present invention are applicable where only plural semiconductor devices are involved in microcircuit interconnections, or where such devices and one or more resistance elements are involved. However, the formation of capacitance elements is also readily and advantageously achieved in the same monolithic assembly, in a manner next explained. At the relatively large-area site 32 (FIGURE 6B) where a capacitor is to be developed, the gold or equivalent film 30 is removed by the aforementioned etching at the same time that it is being removed from other areas where it is not of use, and the tantalum or equivalent film 29 is masked with emulsion to remain extant across the area 32 when unwanted portions of the tantalum are etched away. When the protective emulsion is removed from this relatively large-area tantalum surface, that surface is then selectively oxidized or anodized (to the exclusion of other tantalum surfaces) in accordance with a known method, such as a known electrochemical method. The resulting oxidized tantalum surface layer or film has outstanding dielectric properties, as do the oxides of certain other metals which may be used in lieu of the tantalum, and a capacitor is then completed simply by depositing a metallic electrode layer 36 (FIGURE 2) atop the oxide coating. The latter step is conveniently performed by common vacuum deposition, sputtering, or silk-screening methods, for example. More than one capacitor may obviously be produced on a single sub-assembly, if required.

In the completed sub-assembly, the vitreous insulating substrate is integral with both the underlying silicon sub strate and with the overlying connection and circuit compoent layers. Its properties provide the desired electrical isolations, while at the same time the overall bulk of the microcircuit is kept to a minimum and the thermal dissipation capabilities remain high. The wholly integrated monolith also inherently possesses a high degree of immunity to efiects of shock and vibration.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the illustrated configurations and packaging and the specific processing steps discussed are susceptible to change as dictated by need. By way of examples, it should be understood that more than one side of a single siliconsubstrate may be exploited, both for the formation of P-N regions and for the development of overlying insulated connections and components, and that such microcircuits may be stacked together, and encapsulated. Accordingly, it should be understood that the specific practices and constructions here illustrated and described are presented for purposes of disclosure rather than as limitations, and that in the appended claims it is aimed to cover all such modifications and equivalencies as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Integrated microcircuitry comprking a rigid substrate in the form of a thin wafer of silicon having a plurality of asymmetrically-conductive elements therein each having different conduction regions each of which is nested within a larger region of the opposite conduction characteristics and each of which is exposed to the surface on one side of the substrate, an electrically-insulating substrate of vitreous material integral with the rigid substrate on said side thereof and having discrete openings therethrough each communicating with a different one of said regions, discrete electrical metal contacts deposited in said openings and each integrally bonded with a different one of said regions, a thin patterned layer of tantalum atop the vitreous insulating substrate and contacts integrally therewith, said patterned layer forming predetermined circuit connections with said contacts and having at least one elongated tortuous path forming a resistive element along the insulating substrate, and a discontinuous patterned layer of gold atop and integral with predetermined portions of the patterned layer of tantalum forming low-resistance connections and terminal contacts.

2. Integrated microcircuitry comprising a small rigid substrate of silicon having at least one asymmetricallyconductive element therein with different conduction regions exposed to the surface thereof, an electrically-insulating vitreous substrate integral with the surface of said silicon substrate and having discrete openings therethrough each communicating with a different one of said regions, patterned layers of metal atop the vitreous insulating substrate integrally therewith and with one another forming predetermined electrical circuit paths, said patterned layers being in superposed relationship, means electrically connecting different portions of said patterned layers with the different-conduction regions in said silicon substrate through said openings, one of said patterned layers comprising a layer of a first metal portions of which form at least part of one circuit impedance element, and another of said layers comprising a discontinuous patterned layer of a second metal having a resistivity different from that of said first metal.

3. Integrated microcircuitry as set forth in claim .2 wherein said one of said patterned layers is of high-resistivity metal having at least one elongated tortuous path forming a resistive circuit element, and wherein said other of said layers is of low-resistivity metal electrically References Cited by the Examiner in parallel with portions of said one of said layers and UNITED STATES PATENTS forming low-resistance electrical connections.

4. Integrated microcircuitry as set forth in claim 2 23 "7 wherein at least one portion of said one of said patterned 5 y layers is of tantalum and of relatively large area, and OTHER REFERENCES further comprising a dielectric oxide of tantalum across El i D i Jam 21, 1959, pages 33.40,

said area integrally therewith, and a layer of metal coating said dielectric oxide forming a capacitance with the metal ROBERT SCHAEFER, P Examine"- of said relatively large area. 10 W. C. GARVERT, J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiners. 

1. INTEGRATED MICROCIRCUITRY COMPRISING A RIGID SUBSTRATE IN THE FORM OF A THIN WAFER OF SILICON HAVING A PLURALITY OF ASYMMETRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE ELEMENTS THEREIN EACH HAVING DIFFERENT CONDUCTION REGIONS EACH OF WHICH IS NESTED WITHIN A LARGER REGION OF THE OPPOSITE CONDUCTION CHARACTERISTICS AND EACH OF WHICH IS EXPOSED TO THE SURFACE ON ONE SIDE OF THE SUBSTRATE, AN ELECTRICALLY-INSULATING SUBSTRATE OF VITREOUS MATERIAL INTEGRAL WITH THE RIGID SUBSTRATE ON SAID SIDE THEREOF AND HAVING DISCRETE OPENINGS THERETHROUGH EACH COMMUNICATING WITH A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID REGIONS, DISCRETE ELECTRICAL METAL CONTACTS DEPOSITED IN SAID OPENINGS AND EACH INTEGRALLY BONDED WITH A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID REGIONS, A THIN PATTERNED LAYER OF TANTALUM ATOP THE VITREOUS INSULATING SUBSTRATE AND CONTACTS INTEGRALLY THEREWITH, SAID PATTERNED LAYER FORMING PREDETERMINED CIRCUIT CONNECTIONS WITH SAID CONTACTS AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED TORTUOUS PATH FORMING A RESISTIVE ELEMENT ALONG THE INSULATING SUBSTRATE, AND A DISCONTINUOUS PATTERNED LAYER OF GOLD ATOP AND INTEGRAL WITH PREDETERMINED PORTIONS OF THE PATTERNED LAYER PF TANTALUM FORMING LOW-RESISTANCE CONNECTIONS AND TERMINAL CONTACTS. 